National Republican., 1887-12-24
HER HAIR TURNED WHITE.
A Lady Who Bears the Marks of a
Night of Terrible Suspense.
Ipittahurp Diapatch

lfl'tsDuiB DlbphtCn'
A'party OF doctors and ladies were dis
cutsipg yesterday question which inter-
ests everybody on this terrestrial sphere
namely, the SHOWS OF time which sooner or
later must whiten the head Of the Presl-
dent and peasant, and a layman who was
also present said: II know Of man who,
but few weeks ago, had q moustache as
brown and darkly brown as the fur OF a
seal. Now 1t is almost white in places,
and not hair Of 1t but is gray.
The change took place 10 the space OF one
night, that succeeding the death OF a
daughter who was TO HIN the prettlest
little maid that ever crosed for klsseS. 10.
tense grief directly caused this sudden
tran sfofmation."
Upon this one OF ,he ladies said ~ hap.
peped to he in New Orleans a few years
after the war, and at reception one uight
| met young lady who could not have
been mole than 20 years old, but whose
hair was Of pure silyery white She
was q beautiful girl, and with this crown
OF silver naturally attracted every
one's attention. learned how che came
to have white hair soon afterwards. She
ives the daughter Of wholesale grocer
N New Orleans, att during the early part
Of the war lived with her parents Ia tnat
city. Just before New Orleans was occu.
pied by Gen. Butler, her father, who was
then an invalid, took his family out to a
small plantation that he owned near Baton
| Rouge. AT the same time an uncle of the
| girl am talking of managed to run the
blockade and took with him a very large
| quantity of diamonds and other Va uahles =
Tor he was jeweler. lie redchsd England
| In safety with his precious cargo.
| "The family enjoyed peace aut security
for some months at Baton Rouge until Gen.
| Butler had hoisted the stars aud stripes in
| New Orleans. One night soon after that
| event party Of bummers, or camp folio ".
ers, said to be attached to the Union army,
but who, as | believe, may Just as likely
have been thieves aud cutthroats OF con
federate sympathies from the purlieus Of
New Orleans, made descent upon
the house at Baton Rouge. It
was nearly midnight when the
family wac aroused by loud knocking at the
door. The door, a minute or two later. was
burst In and five or six masked men entered
the house. They proceeded at once to the
room where lamp was burning by the bed
side OF the master of the house, VINO wa:
very Ill at the time.
II should have stated" said the lady
"that the gentleman's name was Hythe, II
remember rightly. One Of the masked men
revolver In hand, stepped up to Mr.. Hythe
| and eaid, we want the diamonds and lew
elry ycu brought away from New Orleans
Mr.. Hythe realized at once that the robber:
had mistaken him for his brother, the jew
eler, and tried to explain that he ha no da.
monds or any thing Of any particular value In
The house. They refused to believe him, aud
proceeded to make thorough search OF the
house. Mr. Hythe's two daughters had been
sleeping In the room below their fathers
but OF course were awakened by the noise.
| Their experience Of the tide OF war which
had swept over them once or twice before
| enabled them to understand the situation al
once. By good fortune they were able to
get out Of the house In safety and reach 9
ueighboring csnebrake, where they hid
Meanwhile the robbers, having discov
cred nothing but little confederate
money, tried to induce Mrs. Hythe, whom
they had captured, to reveal the where
ah0uts Of the treasure. She could only
affirm what her busl aud had said. They
subjected her to horrible indlgnitles, and
hually set fire to the house. She escaped
frt m the building. The girls In their hid
Ing place saw the torches applied; saw thei
father, as the flames leaped up to the roof
ccne to the window Of his room, aud ther
fall back into the fire. They dare not move
and when the neighbors found them, hour
later, the hair of the younger girl, ther
about is years old, had turned as whit
almost as her cheeks, bloodless with fright
Her hair had been black as night before.